"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Hoyer Shows His True Colors Again-- Spoiler: Not Blue

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Intimates of Nancy Pelosi's say that as much as she wants to retire as Democratic leader, she won't do it while there is a chance Steny Hoyer will get the job. Most House Democrats know that if Hoyer ever becomes Speaker-- God forbid-- all legislation will be filtered through K Street and nothing will ever get done. Hoyer is a Beltway lobbyist favorite. The only current member of the House who has taken more in legalistic bribes from lobbyists than Hoyer ($982,932) is Boehner ($1,238,821). The next most corrupt are notorious crooks Charlie Rangel ($847,353) and Don Young ($735,782). But yesterday the hypocritical Grandma Hoyer was holding forth on his favorite topic: civility. He could be plotting to help the banksters rob his own constituents blind, but he flips out if he detects someone isn't being civil to another House Member.

“I don’t think it’s helpful,” said Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat. “Both [Minority] Leader [Nancy] Pelosi and I have urged members to have respect for one another’s positions. We’ve also urged our friends in labor to have respect.”On Monday, Florida Rep. Alan Grayson blasted out a fundraising appeal to supporters where the Democrat urged them to “petition your government to redress your grievances” over the fast track legislation. He specifically called out 18 Democratic lawmakers for either supporting or leaning toward ‘yes’ on the bill, which is expected to come to the House floor for a vote this month....The criticism from Grayson and union leaders-- and the rush from senior Democrats to protect their own-- highlight how contentious a vote on fast-track authority is within the House Democratic Caucus.Hoyer, who is undeclared on TPA but congressional sources see as leaning toward ‘yes,’ described the email as disrespectful.“I think Mr. Grayson’s actions are not helpful and I don’t think fair to other members. I think that members aught to refrain from directly pressure at their colleagues. They aught to have respect,” Hoyer said.Grayson’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.Labor has also mounted an aggressive campaign to stop fast-track. The AFL-CIO has targeted Bera as their de facto whipping boy on trade, with labor activists slamming him in newspaper editorials, at rallies and in a a $84,000 ad buy in his Sacramento district.“It’s not just that Rep. Bera is publicly backing fast track for the TPP-- a misguided position that we fear will result in job losses for American workers and a race to the bottom on environmental, labor, and human rights issues-- but also that he also broke his explicit word on fast track,” the Coalition to Stop Fast Track, a group of labor unions opposed to the legislation, blasted out to supporters on Tuesday.Hoyer said that the public lashing of Bera-- who received the backing of labor unions during the 2014 midterm elections-- is not “fair.”“Ami Bera is an excellent member….[he’s a] strong supporter of working men and women in this country,” Hoyer said.Hoyer’s remarks were echoed by Democratic Caucus Vice-Chairman Joe Crowley on Tuesday.“I think it’s more important that we in the Democratic Party are having a healthy debate while recognizing that some of the activity outside of the beltway is not particularly helpful,” the New York Democrat said. “I think that many of our colleagues are facing some very difficult choices in the near future and some are feeling some very spirited heat. That’s not an easy place to be.”

Crowley, one of the most corrupt men to ever worm his way into Congress-- virtually the Sepp Blatter of sleazy Beltway politics-- is the former chairman of the New Dems, and his disdain and contempt for "activity outside of the Beltway" is typical of his anti-democracy bent. Crowley has taken over $5,000,000 from the banksters and financial sector in trade for his influence (both as Democratic Caucus Vice Chair and as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee). Only 5 current Members of the House have taken more in legalistic bribes from the finance sector than Crowley-- and what a rogue's nest of slime and self-serving scum!

No doubt Crowley and Hoyer are still smarting over Grayson's response to another New Dem, John Delaney, penning an op-ed last week attacking progressives and progressives values. Hoyer didn't label that or Delaney uncivil, but Grayson responded by musing: "Corporate tax breaks, corporate welfare, corporate trade giveaways and sucking up to Wall Street... 'New Democrats' sound a lot like old Republicans." They sure do!Hoyer's attack on Grayson isn't coincidental to his support for life-long-Republican-turned-New Dem Patrick Murphy, who is running against Grayson for the open Florida Senate seat. You can slap Hoyer upside the head and help Grayson win that race here.